The Cerritos Library is the first titanium-clad building constructed in the United
States. Completely re-imagined and redesigned, it features themed spaces, high
quality art work, and inspirational architecture. Innovation and creativity
have been central to the new Library’s success. It is widely known throughout the library community for its futuristic
design and world-class customer service.

The Library is the result of a complete reevaluation of library services in the wake of the emergence of the Internet as a powerful resource. The book, The Experience Economy (Joseph Pine and James Gilmore, Harvard Business School Press, 1999), served as an inspiration to make the library more interactive and user friendly.

During the design process, the City staff looked outside the library
world in order to find new ways to provide cutting-edge services, including
interactive learning. The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, designed by Frank
Gehry, served as an additional inspiration for the layout and modern design
of the exterior of the building. Images and exhibits on display as well as
sounds emanating from the Rainforest and aquarium areas add to the multi-sensory
experience of the visitor.

Modern technology supports all aspects of the Cerritos Library. Public areas
are filled with computers and Ethernet ports for anyone to use. In fact, the
Library has the most computers per capita for any library its size in the United
States. Library staff wears wireless headsets for easy communication when assisting
library users. A computerized circulation system that uses radio frequency identification
(RFID) simplifies the circulation process including easy and convenient self-checkout.
Smart cards complete with photo ID double as debit cards for print services.